Both My Pictus Cats Died Suddenly!

[dfield]

I am so upset, I am just running in my new tank for the pictus and they both died sometime between midnight and 8am this morning.

No sign at all of physical trauma or of any external disease..

I immediately tested the water and discovered

PH 7.4
Ammonia 1.0 ppm
Nitrites 0.25 ppm
Nitrates 0.20 ppm


I have recently removed a second faulty filter, but the first has been in there for a month, but I have been checking the water daily and yesterday it was reading fine

Could it be the two dead fish that have caused the spikes, or the spikes that caused the dead fish..

They were both out last night - the light in the tank was off but the television was casting like a moonlight effect on them and they were very active.

I did buy the tank second hand and the fish have been though a lot of trauma really, in the move, the tank cycling and ich in the tank which had to be treated for a month.. I really could have understood them dying... but suddenly both at the same time... that just seems really weird... both are in rigor, so they must have died at the same time.

Our water is quite hard, but once again, why would it affect them both so suddenly.

The only other thing is last night my cat was really focused on watching the tank and kept jumping up at them.. could it have literally frightened them to death??? I know that seems bizarre but I just cannot explain how they died at the same time.

I just cant believe it... all my plans for them in the new tank ... over

 

[HayzH]

with those results i would lean towards the water lead to the deaths. When you threw out the old filter did you save the media and put it in the new one? Because if you didnt you have got rid of all the bacteria. And as the results also show very low nitrates i would think your filter wasnt cycled fully.
Have a read in the beginners section at fishless cycles....this is now where you need to head. x

 

[dfield]

Hi

No, there were two filters in the tank, one an Interpet and the remaining one is a Fluval U4, its only a 180L tank, and the Fluval has been in there for over a month, so there should be sufficient media in there (I would have thought)

I have been daily testing the water following removal of the Interpet filter and its been testing fine. BUT... I did add about 6 new plants and removed some plastic ones out of the tank.

I am wondering if its oxygen?? since all the bottom dwellers are really inactive.. I actually managed to easily net a Cory.. my pleco had barely any gill movement.. so.. I took the plunge and moved all the biggies to the large tank..

I also changed the water and have added extra oxygen..

Re-test just now:

PH 7.2 ppm
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrites 0 ppm
Nitrates 20 ppm

Corys showing a bit more activity now and the mollies and guppies arent hanging near the surface either.. talk about STRESS!!!! Its been like an ER hospital here all morning!

 

[dfield]

I went to a fish centre today and bought an O2 tester... shockingly about 4mg/l!! @ 26 deg, should be no less than 6.3 according to the tester.. even though we have a filter and an air pump. Added another air stone... and will see how we go.

 

[abbyc]

I went to a fish centre today and bought an O2 tester... shockingly about 4mg/l!! @ 26 deg, should be no less than 6.3 according to the tester.. even though we have a filter and an air pump. Added another air stone... and will see how we go.

hi - read all of your distressing news - such a pity about your fish - just a thought though... if it was the oxygen levels (admittedly they were low) surely your bottom dwellers would have been making regular trips to the surface for extra oxygen as mine do.abbyc

 

[dfield]

Hi

It happened in the night and when I spoke to the LFS all my other fish have the ability to take oxygen from the surface.. apart from the Pleco and when I checked him, there was very little gill movement (I actually made him move as he was so still)

I had just added about 4 plants, and they actually take oxygen at night rather than create it... so I am presuming that since I tested at 4mg/L in the afternoon, it must have been much lower than that overnight.

It is just a theory, but I keep coming back to the fact that they both died at the same time, so if it was disease/poisoning.. I would have thought it would be more gradual, with at least some signs.

Anyway, we have had a massive move over today..

All my Mollies/Swords are in one tank as they prefer harder water and in the large tank I have put the Corys, Pleco, Loach, Kribs, Rams and Gourami with a lower PH to suit them better.

I keep going over and over if there were any hints of a problem, but there really weren't and I had been so careful to test daily after removing the second filter so I didnt get problems. I suppose sadly this is how you learn sometimes.. but they were such beautiful fish and I am really sad.

 

[dfield]

p.s I am no expert by any means, but I spoke at length with the LFS who are very highly regarded, and even they were perplexed.

The only solution they could offer was to renew the carbon, just in case there was any chemical or substance added, and to add more air/do a water change.. all of what we did..

What I am so massivly gutted about is that I knew the other tank was cycled.. and yet I was just being cautious before moving them.. if only I had done it the day before... maybe theyd still be alive..

I know that doesnt help the cats now, but I cant help kicking myself about it.